


"We Need to Talk"

by GingerFerret



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (Non Graphic), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Love, M/M, POV Harry Potter, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 03:21:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12855654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerFerret/pseuds/GingerFerret
Summary: Albus and James are home for the weekend, and Harry enjoys having his family assembled. However, everything changes when he stumbles upon his sons while they think they are alone.





	"We Need to Talk"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lq_traintracks (lumosed_quill)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumosed_quill/gifts).



> This is my first attempt at writing a fic with this pairing. I only read the first Albus/James fic EVER a few days ago, and I was immediately hooked. 
> 
> It was the beauty of the stories by the wonderfully talented lq_traintracks(lumosed_quill) that made me want to write a story of my own. I realize that this fic is incredibly tame compared to theirs - and the quality of my writing doesn't even begin to compare * bows down and worships *, but I wanted to show my appreciation in some small way. Hope it's well received. 
> 
> * runs and hides *

"Ginny." Harry Potter was sitting across from his wife of 20 years at the sturdy oak table in their kitchen. It was early morning, the rest of the house was still asleep. Harry himself hadn't slept all night. Ginny looked up from her parchment, her brown gaze soft. Harry swallowed. "We need to talk." His tone must have matched the severity of the words he was about to say, because Ginny's eyes went serious in an instant. 

"Harry Potter, are you leaving me?" Her voice was steady enough, but her cheeks were a little paler than usual. Harry shook his head. 

"Not a chance. But...what I'm about to tell you... may be worse... Depending on how we handle it." He felt his heart hammer away in his chest, his throat constricting with a mix of emotions he had never encountered before. Raw, naked fear being the most prominent. Ginny looked alarmed now. 

"Well then tell me! What is it?" 

The _ThumpThumpThump_ of Harry's heart quickened. 

"You have to promise me not to act in any way before we talk it through. _Really_ promise. Can you do that?" He looked at his wife beseechingly. He had never been more afraid in his life. 

"For Merlin's sake, Harry! I promise. I _promise_ ! Do I need to make an unbreakable vow?!" Ginny's voice had that edge to it that only ever showed when she was properly scared. Which was practically never. Harry made an effort to shake his head. 

"No. Your word is enough." 

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath as deep as the emotions in his throat, and lungs, and heart allowed. No longer able to postpone the inevitable he opened them again, looking at his wife, knowing how nothing would ever be the same again. 

"I think our sons are in love." 

His heart was beating so hard he was sure Ginny must be able to hear it. 

For a moment, she just looked at him, uncomprehending. Then all color drained from her face, and Harry knew no further explanation was needed. 

 

\---

 

"James, stop teasing your brother." Ginny's fond laughter rang like a bell as she watched her youngest son blush. He had always been gentle and sensitive and his brother knew all his buttons and how to push them. Even now, as James' 19th birthday was nearing, he still found it as amusing as ever to ruffle his younger brother. At this particular moment, he had made a comment about how the shopgirl at the bookstore today had swooned over Albus' _pretty eyes_ , knowing full well that Albus was more than shy when it came to girls. 

Harry smiled fondly at the display in front of him - his youngest son's cheeks growing still more pink, his oldest ruffling his hair, and his wife looking happy and unguarded. Lily was engrossed in her books as usual, curled up in the chair closest to the fireplace. Since the boys had moved out the year before, as Albus had finished his last year at Hogwarts, the family was rarely assembled like this anymore. Harry missed it. At least the boys had found a flat together. That way he and Ginny were sure to see them both when they paid them a visit in London. Though it hadn't been that hard to persuade the boys to come home for the weekend. Friday evening had been spent drinking wine and talking as a family, making Harry's heart swell with happiness. 

As the fire dwindled down into a few feeble flames, Harry took his wife's hand and said goodnight to his sons. Lily had gone to bed earlier, and the living room was quiet as Harry and Ginny ascended the stairs. Harry put on his pyjamas as Ginny brushed her teeth in the bathroom across the landing. Perhaps tomorrow he would take the whole family to the Harpies game. It had been ages since they had all been to a match together, and Ron would definitely be able to provide tickets for them. Yes, that would be his surprise for his family. He smiled to himself, satisfied. However, they would have to make an early start. And the boys had both been drinking more than a few glasses of wine. _And_ James had been known to break into their liqueur cabinet more than once. Harry had best go back downstairs and tell them not to drink anymore, lest they be too hungover in the morning to attend the game. 

When Harry came downstairs the living room was empty. The fire had gone out, leaving the room in darkness, save for a single candle burning on the mantle. As he neared the kitchen he noticed that the door to the garden was ajar. The boys must be out there - probably with his vintage firewhiskey. Harry walked on tiptoe towards the French doors, intent on catching his sons in the act. As he reached the door and looked out onto the dimly lit veranda, he hesitated. 

Both boys were standing on the wooden floor of the veranda, holding each other. Harry's initial thought was that one of them was comforting the the other. But they were standing so closely together. Albus' arms were wrapped around James' waist, and James was cradling his brother's head to his chest, his face buried in the younger boy's hair. Something told Harry not to disturb them. Still, he wasn't able to leave. Something felt...off. He watched as Albus lifted his head and looked up at his brother. Even the low lighting couldn't hide the adoring look on James' face as his hands cupped his little brother's cheeks and he bent down to...to kiss him...

Harry felt all the blood drain from his face. What...what was he seeing? Frozen to the spot, he watched as the kiss his sons shared deepened. Their arms wound tighter around each other and their hands began to wander. Harry fled. 

Lying in his bed, next to his sleeping wife, his heart hammered harder than it ever had before. As hard as he tried, he couldn't wrap his mind around what he had seen tonight. James and Albus. His _sons_... They... He felt panic in his chest, the ice cold grip of it seizing him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He forced his breathing to calm and slowly felt the panic drain from his body. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. He didn't even try to explain it away. To talk himself into believing that he had somehow misinterpreted the situation. He knew what he had witnessed; knew it in his heart. It wasn't just an experimental kiss between brothers. James had looked at Albus the way Harry knew he, himself, looked at Ginny, even after all these years. There was no explaining that away. However desperately he wanted to. 

 

\---

 

Ginny seldom cried. Not just because she was a strong and independent woman, but also because she was happy. Life had been kind to them since the first few rough years after the war. They were still very much in love, their children were healthy and happy, they both had jobs they loved, and they often saw their friends and family. Life was good. Harry wasn't used to seeing his wife sobbing quietly, tears rolling unchecked down her cheeks, a look of sheer heartbreak crumbling her face. He didn't know what to do. He felt as petrified as he had done since last night when he saw his sons, his two beautiful, smart, loving sons, doing something brothers weren't supposed to do. So obviously feeling for each other what they shouldn't. Telling it to his wife hadn't made it any more comprehensible. But it was a truth they had to deal with. That much he knew. 

"I should have seen it", Ginny whispered, though Harry couldn't see how she could have. Why would any of them ever think to look for something like that? "All those times they were sitting close together on the sofa, whispering. James teasing Albus just so he could ruffle his hair or put his arm around him afterwards.." Harry had to protest to this. 

"Ginny, how on earth were we to put any other meaning than brotherly affection into that? Really? They've always been like that..." Harry had to swallow around the lump in his throat, "...physical.." God, how the meaning of such an innocent word had shifted in only a few hours. He felt panic start to prickle at the base of his neck. "Why would we even _try_ to look for a deeper meaning behind their behavior? We had no reason to." He looked pleadingly at his wife. Her gaze hardened as she looked at him in disbelief. 

"Maybe you don't feel the burden of our neglect to see what has been going on right under our noses, but _I do_! Harry, they are our _sons_! And we failed them!" Fresh tears started rolling, her bottom lip quivering. Harry felt sick. Of course she was right. They should have seen. Should have known _somehow_. They had let their beautiful boys down. Though Harry still couldn't fathom how on earth they were to have even guessed at something like that. 

Since the moment Albus learned to walk he had followed his brother around everywhere he went. James had been his hero, the older brother who could teach him things and help him when he needed it. As they grew older and James went to Hogwarts, Albus missed him so much that he often cried himself to sleep, and when James came home for the holidays the two of them were inseparable. James was popular in his year, being self confident and adventurous. Albus longed for the day when he himself would be going on the Hogwarts Express to start his magical education. When the day finally arrived, it became clear how different his disposition was from that of his brother. Being shy and sensitive in a House full of more confident and teasing Slytherins wasn't easy. But Albus was a gifted student and was soon respected by his peers for his talents and his willingness to help those who struggled. As the years went by, James told tales about the many girls who swarmed around him like butterflies, but he never talked about anyone special. Albus never talked about girls, and James was highly amused at how his brother seemed oblivious to the longing looks girls sent him when he had his nose buried in his books and projects. Albus always blushed when James mentioned this. 

The Potter house was so quiet when the boys were away at school, and every holiday was treasured for bringing the family back together. When James and Albus came home for Christmas in their respective 6th and 5th year, they seemed to be closer than ever. Always talking about something, sitting together on the sofa or at the table, fighting in the snow outside in the garden. More often than not, they both slept in James' room, having Levitated Albus' mattress across the hall. Harry and Ginny could hear them laughing from time to time upstairs, their voices now so much deeper. 

One morning, things were different. Harry hadn't thought anything of it at the time. James had been more serious, not quite his rambunctious self, and Albus hadn't looked up from his breakfast once. Then James had declared that he was going to Diagon Alley to meet with some friends, and Albus had stayed behind, locked in his room. Upon his return, James had talked a lot about a girl he met, and Albus had ignored him for the rest of the evening. They kept to their own rooms for the rest of the holiday. 

Now, Harry wished he had questioned the shift in their behavior. But, even now, he just couldn't see how he would _ever_ think that anything inappropriate could have taken place between them. Why would he? They were _brothers_. His sons. Harry had never felt more lost in his life. One thing was certain, though: he loved his children more than anything. Nothing could ever change that. Not even this. He knew Ginny felt the same way. 

"What do we do from here, Harry?" Ginny's voice was flat with grief. "We can't separate them. They would never forgive us. Nor would we ever forgive ourselves." She took a shuddering breath. "But how can we know what is happening and allow it to go on, Harry? What sort of parents would we be?" Harry didn't know how to answer that. He just knew they had to do _something_. 

"What if we pretend not to know?" At the incredulous look from Ginny, he hastily added, "Just for a while. For the rest of the weekend. We could...observe them. See how they interact. I mean...if they really love each other..." He swallowed hard a few times. "If this is the real thing...how do we break them apart without destroying them?" He looked at Ginny, knowing from the way she was watching him how his desperation must be evident on his face. Unexpectedly, she reached out a hand and touched his cheek. 

"Oh, Harry. Do you have any idea how much I love you?" 

He grabbed her hand and leaned into the touch. "I love you too. So, so much."

 

\---

 

Albus was the first to come downstairs for breakfast a little after 11 o'clock. His hair was in disarray and he looked a little hungover. Harry's heart skipped a beat at the thought of how his hair might have ended up looking like that. Then he immediately decided never to think about such things again. His son gave him a thankful smile as he took the mug of fresh coffee Harry held out to him. He didn't seem to notice that his father's hand was shaking. 

James was freshly showered when he entered the kitchen half an hour later. Harry studied him surreptitiously as he sat down next to his brother, reaching for the coffee pot. Albus' hand rested next to his now empty plate while he was apparently engrossed in a book, but Harry didn't miss the way his pinky went out to brush against James' hand as he poured coffee into his mug. Nor did he miss the small, pleased smile lighting up James' face. 

Harry looked at Ginny, who pretended to be reading the newspaper, and instantly knew that she had noticed as well. 

For the next hour, Harry and Ginny gave their very best impressions of being oblivious, talking to their sons about life in London, Albus' apprenticeship at a magical apothecary, and James' latest tricks on his new broom. Lily had long since retreated to her book-filled sanctuary on the top floor, and Harry was secretly thankful for that. 

If the boys noticed that their parents were currently experiencing the worst crisis of their lives, they didn't let it show. James teased his brother the same way he always did, Albus reacting predictively by blushing or wrestling him. Harry was particularly alert when Albus pinned James down on the sofa once, pretending to smother him with a cushion. James' hands came up to pinch Albus' sides, and Albus yelped and retreated. They had done that more times than Harry could count. When had it begun to mean something else? 

It was a heartbreaking task to spy on ones sons while pretending everything was as it used to be. Harry felt like he was betraying them all over again. He had to remind himself continuously throughout the day that what he and Ginny did served an important purpose. They had to know what was really going on in order to decide how to move forward. But, of course nothing was going to happen between the boys with both their parents sitting in the room, so as Ginny went upstairs to do laundry, Harry claimed he would be making dinner and went to the kitchen. After banging around with pots and pans for twenty minutes, he went as silently as possible to stand at the door to the living room. It was open just a crack. With his heart in his throat he looked through the small space between the door and its frame. 

And there they were. His boys. His wonderful sons whom he had cared for and loved unconditionally all their lives. James was sitting with his back against the armrest of the sofa with Albus in his lap. They were kissing gently, one of James' hands caressing the nape of his brother's neck, the other resting on his thigh, fingers intertwined with Albus'. 

Harry went back to his cooking, hands shaking so badly he had to wait a few minutes to take the knife to the meat. 

Dinner was undertaken in much the same manner as breakfast had been, with chatter and laughter from James, Lily with a book by her plate, and Harry and Ginny trying to be as they always were. Harry found that he wasn't so sure how he used to be anymore. In the span of less than 24 hours, the life he thought he knew had been turned upside down. He no longer felt like he had as firm a grasp on reality as he thought he did. In fact the complete opposite. He knew nothing. 

At some point, both boys had let a hand disappear beneath the table. Harry would never before have thought anything of it, but now he felt an urge, so strong it scared  
him, to _know_. As James was telling a blushing Albus about how a girl living next to them in London clearly had a crush on him, Harry let his napkin fall to the floor and swiftly leaned down to look under the table. His sons were so engrossed in their own little game of pretend that they didn't notice. 

They were holding hands. James stroking Albus' thumb with his own, while their hands rested on James' thigh. Harry sat up and made a show of shaking his napkin before putting it back on the table. His heart felt as if it was about to break into a thousand little pieces. 

 

"Come on, Albie, it'll be fun. Just like old times." James tickled his brother's side while trying to persuade him to play a game of exploding snaps. Albus squirmed and giggled, grabbing at James' hands. Harry shot a glance at Ginny. She looked back at him, her eyes shining more than usual, and Harry saw his own despair mirrored there. The rest of the evening was spent playing magically enhanced muggle board games, and everything seemed so much like it used to be, that Harry's heart leapt in his chest as he again remembered how much it really, really wasn't. 

When Lily went upstairs to sleep, Harry and Ginny followed shortly after, claiming to be old and tired. James teased them a bit, but it was clear that both boys were glad to be left alone. Harry felt like a creep as Ginny ascended the stairs alone, while he, according to their agreement, stayed behind to bloody _spy_ on their sons. As he cast the spells that would allow him to see and hear what went on in the living room, he felt sick. 

"I thought they'd _never_ leave". James' voice was low but clear. He sighed and pulled Albus to him with an arm around his waist. Albus wasted no time snuggling up to him, slinging his arms around his brother's waist. James bent his head down to kiss the top of his head. 

"I feel like such a terrible person." It was Albus speaking. His voice a bit higher than his brother's, and always so soft. James held him tighter. 

"Albus, you're the exact opposite of a terrible person. You're the very best, most wonderful person I know. You're sweet, and kind, and so so loving. There's nothing terrible about you." James' words made his brother smile, but it was laced with sadness. 

"I just feel... I wish..." he swallowed, eyes looking as sad as they had only ever looked when James went to Hogwarts and left Albus behind all those years ago. "I just wish we were like any other couple. That I could take you home to my parents and tell them exactly how I feel about you. It's so fucked up...". The beginning of tears were evident in the way his voice began to shake. James put a hand under his chin and tipped his head back, looking him in the eyes with such understanding and love. 

"Hey...hey... It's not fucked up, Albie. It's who we are. It's not our fault we were born brothers." James searched his little brother's face, eyes pleading and so warm. Albus still looked like he was about to cry. "I love you, Albus. I love you more than anything. I can't lose you." Harry heard the soft sounds of his sons' lips as they met gently, comfortingly, and the lump growing in his throat felt like it would strangle him. 

As they broke apart, Albus made a distressed sound. "How can we possibly keep this a secret for the rest of our lives? Do we hide out in our flat until we get old and die? Pretend that everything is as it used to be, that I don't love you more than I love my own life? How is that going to play out? I mean, this weekend has been hell, having to keep my distance, _betraying_ mum and dad. God, if they knew about us..." Albus' vivid green eyes, so much like Harry's own, where almost luminous with the tears that threatened to spill over. 

James put both arms around him and held him impossibly tight, pressing his lips to the top of his brother's head. "They can never know, Albie. Never. Because then they'd be forced to separate us, and I'd rather die than not be with you." Tears rolled down Albus' cheeks now, and Harry recognized the strangled tone of his oldest son's voice as the one that appeared when he was about to cry. James rarely cried, but now he was shaking with the force of holding it back.   
Harry's heart ached for both of them. For their beautiful family which would never be the same again. 

But, somewhere deep in his heart, Harry felt a flicker of something fiercely protective. Not just the fatherly instinct to defend his offspring to the death, but also an urge to protect whatever was right and true. No matter how the rest of the world perceived it. That had always been who he was at his core. How could he abandon that belief now when his sons needed him to stand strong? He couldn't allow anything or anyone to harm his family. He never had and never would. He took a deep breath, resolved. 

 

\---

 

Sunday morning, Harry was waiting for Ginny at their dinner table when she came downstairs. Her eyes were still shining from the tears they had shed, but she looked more like herself. Her jaw was set in that determined way that always made Harry feel a rush of pride that this strong, beautiful woman was _his_ wife. He slid a mug of coffee across the table for her as she sat down. The smile she gave him was only a little less happy than usual. Harry swallowed. He had already told her what he had witnessed between their sons the night before, but they had agreed to sleep before making any decisions. The way Ginny carried herself this morning made him feel hopeful. He took a deep breath. 

"Ginny. We're not going to mess this up." Ginny looked at him, eyes inscrutable. "I know this isn't what we expected or wanted, but they are old enough to know how they feel. To make their own choices. If we try to come between them we'll lose them both, and for what?" Ginny's gaze was steady. "What I saw last night..." he swallowed, feeling the truth in what he was about to say. "That wasn't something passing. It was real." 

Harry looked at his wife, her beautiful face so open and vulnerable. He watched as she took in his words, as they settled within her and made her nod. "I know" she said, voice clear. "I think I always knew. That's why I blame myself." Her lip trembled momentarily, then she breathed deeply. "Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of hurting our sons. They deserve love more than anyone. But we have to figure out how we handle this. Together. As a family." 

At that moment, Harry felt a love for Ginny so deep that it hurt. He put his broad hand over her slender one and squeezed gently. Even if this was the hardest situation they had ever faced, at least they would face it together. And whatever the world would say when this, inevitably, reached beyond the safety of their family, they would stand together and fight for their sons. For love. 

A creaking from the stairs and James' teasing laughter told them that the boys were heading downstairs. Harry squeezed Ginny's hand once more, and as Albus and James came into the kitchen, sleep ruffled and smiling, he cleared his throat. 

"Boys. We need to talk."

 

**End**


End file.
